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v A. T. SNELL 85 0. E. GROVE. ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR USE WITH ELEGTRIOALLYPROPELLED VEHICLES OR LOCOMOTIVES, &c.

No. 605,023. Patented May 31, 1898..

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. A. T. SNELL 810. E. GROVE. ELEGTRIG SWITGE FOR USEWITHELEGTRIUALLYPROPELLED VEHICLES 0R LOGOMOTIVES, &c.

N0.605,023. Patented Maygil, 1898.

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' UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBION THOMAS SNELL AND CHARLES EDWARD GROVE, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR S OF ONE-TI SAME PLACE.

IIRD TO ARNOLD FRANK HILLS, OF

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 60 5,023, dated May 31,1898.

Application filed October 8 1897. Serial No. 654,586. N m V To (LIZ whomit "my (mitt-crib:

Be it known that we, ALBION THOMAS SNELL and (-IIARLES EDWARD GROVE,sub- ,iects'of the Queen of Great Britain, residing two, three, or moreelectric motors.

at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches for Use in Connection with Electrically-lropelledVehicles or Locomotives and for other lurposes, of which the followingis a specification. Our invention relates to electrical switches for useupon railways in connection with electrically-propclled vehicles andlocomotives.

In locomotives or vehicles upon electric railways or tramways carryingtwo, three, four, or more electric motors it is usual to provide aswitch or series of switches with resistances or the like by means ofwhich the supply of electric current to the motors may be established orcut off, the speed of the motorsmay be regulated, and the direction ofrunning may be controlled. In some cases it is desirable to provideinaddition means by which the mode of coupling of the motors may bevaried-as, for instance, in cases where two motors are used-to enablethem to be coupled either in series or in parallel at will.

Our invention consists in the construction and use of a compound switchor seriesof interlocked switches especially adapted for controlling fourelectric motors, as hereinafter described, but applicable also withsimple modifications to the controlling of groups of We prefer to usethree switches in combination. One of them, which may be called thestarting-switch, controls the supply of current to the motors ormotor-armatu res by connectin g them through a suitable resistance tothe source of supply, the resistance ,beingmore or less cut out/as themotors attain speed and being reinserted and the circuit afterwardbroken when itis desired to stop. The second switch, which may becalledthe-con trolling-switch, varies the mode of coupling of the motors ormotor-arinatures, so that they may be coupled in any of the threeways'i. a, (a) all four in series; (1)) in two parallel groupings of twoin series each; (0) all four in parallel. The third switch, which may becalled the reversing-'switc reverses the connections of the fields orarmatures of the motors with the source of supply, thereby determiningthe direction of rotation of the motor-armatnres, and consequently thedirection of motion of the 1000- motive or vehicle. These three switchesare interlocked, so'that the effects required to be produced by themshall be produced in an in- Variable cycle and it shall be'impossiblcfor the motormanto operate the switches in such a way as to cause injuryto the motors. Thus current cannot be put into the motor-armatu res bythe starting-switch when the motors are at rest unless the reversingswitch is properly set to correspond with either the forward or backwarddirection of running, and the controlling-switch is set-so as to connectthe motors four in series. Contact is made and current admitted to thearmatures for the purpose of starting the locomotive or motor-vehicle byrotating the handle of the starting-switch which connects the mains. tothe motors through suit-able resistances, these resistances beinggradually cut out as the handle is further rotated.

starting-switch and the connections of the motors are changed by thecontrolling-switch from the combination of four in series to thenextcombination of two in series and two in parallel. The circuit is againestablished by the starting-switch through resistance, and as thestarting-switch handle is further rotated this resistance is againgradually cut out. At another given point in the cycle thecontrolling-switch changes the motors from the combination of two inseries and two in ances may be reinserted before each break of the maincircuit, if desired.

We prefer to arrange that the startingswitch shall break circuit justbefore the controlling-switch changes the motor connections, so that themotor connections are-alroe At a given 75 point in the cycle current iscut-oft by the Finally, the circuit 0 tered when no current is flowing"in their armatures. If it is desired to alter the direction of runningof the locomotive from the forward to backWard,-or vice versa, thereversing-switch is now turned from one position to the other, while thestarting-switch is in the stop position and the armatures are notcarrying current.

Our invention can be applied in various Ways, and in the drawings Weshow, by Way of example, an arrangement of three switches on parallelshafts adapted for a four-motor equipment. Each of these shafts carriesupon it, lout insulated from it, a number of metal pieces which as theshaft is rotated make contact With suitable fixed metal-contact partsconnected to the motor resistances and other parts of the circuit. As,liOW er, the con struction of these contacts forms no part of ourinvention, they are shown the drawings with as little detail aspossible.

in the drawings, 1 is a sectional elevation of the three switches withthe interlocking-gear, the central switch being the starting-switch,that on the left-hand side the controlling-siritch, and that on theright-hand side the reversingewitch. Fig. 2 is a plan oi the electricalcontacts of the switches, respectively. 3 is a diagram of the electricalconnections simplified for the present pur pose. t is a plan of theoperating-handies of the switches. 5 and 0 shout, respectively, a planand elevation of the interlocking-gear.

Corresponding parts in the several views are lettered and numberedalike.

it, A, A [1,, are the iii-matures, and i IE, F it, the field-magnets, ofthe motors, respectively. is e main negative terminal, and ME ie ositiveterminal, of lie. 1 motor, iii; and ill, the corresponding; mainterminals No. 53 motor, and so on.

T, T, are the terminals to "which the armature of his. 1 motor isconnected through the reversin -snitch corresponding" to, say, theforward direction of motion, 6', i, being" the terminals to Which thisarmature is connected for, say, the backward direction of motion,

in the reversing-switch, Fig. 2, talrinr; the place of both T, and i, inthe general diagram. Similar sets of connections for the other motorsare also prorided in the reversinn-switch.

RH is the handle of the reversing-sWitch, and s .9 stops limiting; therange of movement of the said handle.

K is a squared hlocli' upon the handle of the reversing-switch movingbetween springs Zr: 7;, which compel it to move quickly from oneposition to the other and prevent it staying in an intermediateposition.

(I G C are contact-bars on the cylinder of the controlling-switch, whichmake cor. With the motohterminals M, hi the, in. a Way as to couple themotors tour in series.

B G are corresponding bars which couple the motors two in series and twoin parallel,

and C C are the bars which couple the mo tors four in parallel.

G, and G are elements of the interlocking mechanism, the said elementsbeing a modiii cation of the well-known Genera stop-wheels. The elementG which is the driver,-is provided with teeth g and the element G withcorresponding recesses 9 The element or wheel G has three teeth and theelement or Wheel G eight recesses; but we do not limit ourselves to thisnumerical relation between the Wheels G G The -wheel G is rigidlyconnected to the spindle of the starting switch, so as always to occupya definite position in relation to the position of the handle Sill.Keyed to the same spindle as the wheel G, is a toothed Wheel "W, whichengages with a toothed Wheel W which is keyed to the spindle of thecontrolling-switch.

D is a locking-disk with two segments removed, as at d (P, and which iskeyed in the spindle of the reversing-switch. D, is a sim i lar diskwith one segment removed, as at ml, which engages With the disk D, insuch a way, that when the recess in the di ll, is opposite one of therecesses in the dis i shown 5, the revcrsingswitch is free to more from1 e forward position to the hachivard position, or rice vcrsa, but inother posititn-s of thedisl; D, is not able to do so. The d D, isrigidlyconnected to a toothed wheel it], mounted upon the same axis, and our; 2with. the Wheel W The operation of the apparatus licroinhefore describedis as follows: Let us suppc: that the starting-switch is in the cit pottion, "when, previously eirg'ilained, the loci:- ingdishs D, and ll,will he so situated. i re lation to one another as to enable the ring-svriteh to he operated by the hand s that a tooth upon the Wheel Gisjust cineing from recess on the Wheel G and th. he Wheel 'W is-in suchposition that the core tactbars C f) engage with the h reed con tacts ofthe control]ingswitch, so as to connect the motors four in series, asillustrated in column 1 of the contacts, Fig. 3. it new the Wheel SH ofthe starting-switch is moved through a third of a revolution, it slidesover the contacts r r Q' 11,, the, (of which there may he anynumheig)and cuts out resistance from the rheostat B, Fig. 3, thusbriugi at; atooth upon the wheel G, to a position of engagement with the Wheel G anddriving, the said wheel through a portion of a revolution less thanone-third. (With the arrangementshown in the drawings, Fig. 5, the WheelG moves one eighth of a revolution.) The Wheel W, also moves through thesame angle; but the d lam" eters of the WheelsfW and W, are so pro pertioned that the angular movements of the Wheel "W correspond with thoseof the Wheel cl, and therefore with that of the wheel Sit. lience thecontrollingswitcl I lit) being cut ofi from the motor-armatures justbefore the change of connections is made and being reestablishedimmediately afterward, as previously described. During the movementbefore described the wheels G,,, W,, and

W owing to the curvature of the surfaces of umn 3, Fig. 3, and connectthe four motors in parallel. The last third of the movement of the wheelG, brings the wheel W and consequently the controlling-switch, to thestarting position, in which the four motors are in series, after thestarting-switch has brokenthe circuit. Thus when the wheels SH and .Ghave made a complete revolution the disk D is once more set free to moveand everything is ready to repeat the cycle of operations.

RP is a ratchet and pawl arranged to prevent the wheels SH and G1 frommoving backward.

. The stop-wheels G G might be omitted and tlfe motion of thecontrolling-switch obtained directly from the motion of thestarting-switch by toothed wheels alone; but in this case thecontrolling switch would be continuously moving while thestarting-switch is moving, and we think it very desirable to preventthis by the employment of the stop-wheels G G so as to allow thecontrolling-switch to have a step-by-step movement with intervals ofrest.

To furtherfacilitate the control of the speed of the vehicle, the teethon the ratchet-wheel may be removed over those portions of thecircumference corresponding to the periods of rest of thecontrolling-switch, so that while the controlling-switch is at rest upona given combination the starting-switch handlemay be removed eitherbackward or forward to insert or remove resistance and so facilitateadjustment of speed.

It may be preferred by some persons to vary the windings of thefield-magnets of the motors or to wholly or partially short-circuit themotors before altering the. combinations by the controlling-switch. Ifthis is done, additional contacts suitably connected would be providedin the controlling-switch; but they-are omitted from the present schemeof connections as being not material to the present invention. s 7

It is to be understood that the spindles of the three switches maybearranged either vertically or at any other angle,.also that the.

handles and locking-gear may be at a distance from the actual contactsand current-carrying parts of the switches, though geared with them.

The switch-contacts are preferably mounted on separate blocksof marbleor other insulating material arranged to slide between suitably-placedguides in the switch'cases, so that they maybe separately removable forrepair orrenewal.

Although we have described our invention as applied in connection withmotors for locomotive or tractive purposes, it will be obvious that itmay also be used in connection with a series of motors for otherpurposes.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

we declare that what we claim is p 1. The combination with a switch foropening and closing an electric circuit, of a second switch carrying twoor more series of contacts for the purpose of distributing the currentflowing through the said circuit in various manners through subsidiarycircuits, and of a third switch having contacts for reversing thedirection in which the current flows through the circuits connected withit, the last-mentioned switch being interlocked with the first-mentionedswitch in such a manner that it can only be moved when the latter is inthe off position while the second switch is designed to receive itsmotion from the first switch through gearing in such a manner that whenthe first switch is in a position to allow the passage of a currentthrough it the sec- 0nd switch is in position to distribute the currentthrough one or other of its sets of contacts, substantially asdescribed.

2. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switch anda controlling-switch for coupling the motors in. different relations,and mechanism for imparting an intermittent movement to thecontrollingswitch from the starting-switch, substantially as described.

3. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switch, acontrollingswitchfor coupling the motors in different relations,mechanism for imparting an inter- ,mittent movement to thecontrolling-switch from the starting-switch, and a reversingswitchindependent of the controlling-switch and interlocked with thestarting-switch, substantially as described.

r. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switchprovided with a series of sets of resistance-contacts, acontrolling-switch for coupling the motors in different relations, andmechanism for imparting an intermittent movement to thecontrolling-switch from the starting-switch while the latter is passingfrom one set of contacts to another, substantially as described.

5. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switchprovided with a series of sets of contacts, a controllingswitch forcoupling the motors in difierent relations, mechanism for imparting anintermittent movement to said controlling-switch from thestarting-switch, while the latter moves from one set of contacts toanother,

its members, a starting-switch provided with a series of contacts, and adriving-shaft having a driving-disk provided with concentric rests andoperating-teeth,a controlling-switch for coupling the motors indifferent relations having a gear-disk provided with inwardlycnrvedfaces to engage said concentric rests and recesses to engage saidoperating-teeth, a reversing-switch provided with a segmentallocking-recess,and a locking-disk operatively connected with the shaftof the startingswitch provided with a segmental locking-recess,substantially as described.

8. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switchprovided with a plurality of setsof contacts arranged in a circle, withan ofi space between adjacent sets, a controllingswitch provided with aplurality of sets of contacts for coupling the motors in dilferentrelations,and gearing operativel y connecting said starting-switch withthe controlling-switch and so constructed that the controlling-switchwill be moved from one set of contacts to another while the startlug-switch is in one of its off positions, substantially as described.

9. A compound switch comprising among its members, a starting-switchprovided with a plurality of sets of contacts arranged in a circle, withan off space between adjacent sets, a controlling-switch provided with aplurality of sets of contacts for coupling the motors in differentrelations, and gearing operatively connecting said starting-switch withthe controlling-switch and so constructed that the controlling-switchwill be moved from one set of contacts to another while thestarting-switch is in one of its oif positions, and means for preventingthe reversing of the direction of movement of said starting-switcl1,substantially as described.

ALBION THOMAS SNELL. -CHARLES EDWARD GROVE.

Witnesses: 1 G. F. REDFERN, 1 JOHN E. BOUSFIELD.

